This is the final part of my Azure Striker Gunvolt 2 S+ rank run. Only the boss rushes remain, and surprisingly, there’s a lot to talk about, so onto the notes.
Regarding equipment, here, I forgo any damage augments to properly showcase each boss, nearly matching the Score Attack ruleset, with two exceptions: Firstly, both characters have song equipment selected so I can showcase Stratosphere. Secondly, Gunvolt has Grand Strizer equipped to act as an appropriate finisher; Astrasphere is a little underwhelming at the end of a hard-fought boss rush. I don’t skip Anthem Copen wholly, but do cut the fight slightly short by countering his attempted Reload Crush with the gleaming blade.
For the GV1 boss rush, I noted that the experience was a tad dull, due in part to about half the boss roster presenting a rather mindless challenge. For instance, when fighting Stratos or Carrera, you could be completely inebriated and still escape unscathed. Thankfully, Gunvolt’s run through GV2’s boss roster provides considerably more entertainment. The bosses themselves generally demand more focus owing to more intricate patterns, especially when concerning SP Skills. There’s also the matter of greatly boosting your score by finishing fights with 0 SP Skills. This isn’t terribly demanding so long as you're not overzealous with trying to squeeze every last Kudo out of any given fight. Crashbolt is by far the superior of the two skills for this purpose, with one standout exception: Plasma Legion. Striking the battle tank with Crashbolt is rather exacting; unlike its lesser sibling, it doesn't teleport directly above Gunvolt to grant him a free shot. Carefully whittling its health down to an acceptable range and tossing Dragonsphere in its face is my preferred approach as it's considerably less execution intensive than landing Crashbolt without taking contact damage.
With that said, Gunvolt’s boss fights are ultimately still defensive, despite their more elaborate nature this time around. Copen contrasts this entirely; his playstyle when engaging bosses is far more active, mandating that players carefully research each boss to maximize tagging opportunities. When tackled without equipment or direct assaults with EX Weapons, the brilliance of GV2’s boss design as Copen shines through.
The fundamental nature of Copen's tagging system means that bosses are inherently riskier to engage with. Players have to constantly thrust themselves into potentially perilous scenarios by dashing directly into bosses. The absence of damage-boosting Subroutines morphs the challenge further; suddenly, players are asked to consider going for tags they might have otherwise overlooked or eschewed on account of the risk involved. There are numerous chances to go on the offensive that I simply failed to see during the proper stages because I was too focused on survival while also getting too comfortable with Copen’s increased damage output. Leaving the Subroutines by the wayside and applying a laser focus to each boss was revelatory; tag opportunities that were clouded by my judgment before emerged from the fog like shining beacons of light. Without extra damage, constantly maintaining tags becomes a necessity to avoid each fight taking an eon. The axiom “limitations breed innovation” rings true here.
Pushing your attack sequences demands inventive use of Copen’s movement and combat mechanics. Tactics like using the forward roll to apply tags while using the generous allotment invincibility frames the maneuver grants to escape sketchy situations see profuse application. Likewise, staying grounded instead of faffing about in the air while using dash jumps to dodge instead of Bullit Dashes maximizes each tag by letting Copen shoot uninterrupted. When played with such aggression, certain fights become dangerously exhilarating dances; a perfect blend of the offensive and defensive layers of combat, a telltale sign of great action game design. Even without possessing a melee weapon as an intrinsic combat option, fighting as Copen still feels visceral, which I have to commend Inti Creates for. It’s not easy to replicate the palpably physical nature of fighting with the Z-Saber, but their sterling efforts in crafting these fights make Copen’s boss rush one of the best stages in the game.
An analysis of Copen’s boss rush is available on my community tab. Check it out for more details on each boss.
Timestamps:
00:00 - Proto Legion [GV]
00:41 - Gibril [GV]
02:24 - Milas [GV]
03:44 - Teseo [GV]
05:02 - Desna [GV]
06:44 - Asroc [GV]
08:00 - Ghauri [GV]
09:26 - Tenjian [GV]
10:43 - Plasma Legion [GV]
12:25 - Fake Zonda [GV]
14:14 - Reverie Zonda [GV]
17:03 - Copen
19:46 - Proto Legion [C]
20:23 - Gibril [C]
21:56 - Milas [C]
23:16 - Teseo [C]
24:46 - Desna [C]
26:15 - Asroc [C]
27:30 - Ghauri [C]
28:52 - Tenjian [C]
30:15 - Plasma Legion [C]
31:51 - Fake Zonda [C]
33:54 - Reverie Zonda [C]
36:15 - Gunvolt
Thanks for watching, I hope you enjoyed this series!